Traumatic brain injury symptoms and long-term effects

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) groups the symptoms of a mild TBI or concussion by how they affect you:

• How you feel physically: headaches, dizziness or balance problems, nausea or vomiting early on, vision problems, feeling tired, and being bothered by light or noise.
• How you think and remember: trouble concentrating, feeling slowed down, foggy or groggy, trouble thinking clearly, and short- or long-term memory problems.
• How you feel emotionally: anxiety, irritability, sadness, or feeling more emotional than usual.
• How you sleep: sleeping more or less than usual, or trouble falling asleep.

More serious injuries can bring other signs. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) lists blurred or double vision, ringing in the ears, an unexplained bad taste in the mouth, clear fluid draining from the nose or ears, and new problems such as slurred speech or weakness in an arm, a leg, or the face.

Symptoms differ from person to person, and no one has all of them.

Yes. According to the CDC, some symptoms appear right away, while others may not appear for hours or days. Symptoms can also change during recovery. Headaches and an upset stomach tend to come first, and a week or two later a person may feel more emotional than usual or have trouble sleeping.

NINDS explains part of the reason. Some brain damage is secondary: it develops over hours, days, or weeks after the impact, as bleeding, swelling, and pressure build inside the skull. Bruising of the brain, called a contusion, can appear after a delay of hours to a day.

That is how someone can walk away from a crash or a fall feeling fine and still have a brain injury. It also helps to know that you don’t have to hit your head. The CDC says a TBI can come from a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or the body, such as the sudden whip of a rear-end collision.

In rare cases, a blood clot can form and crowd the brain against the skull. The CDC says to call 911 or go to an emergency department right away if an adult:

• Has a headache that gets worse and does not go away.
• Has weakness, numbness, decreased coordination, convulsions, or seizures.
• Vomits repeatedly.
• Has slurred speech or is acting unusually.
• Has one pupil larger than the other.
• Can’t recognize people or places, or is confused, restless, or agitated.
• Loses consciousness, looks very drowsy, or can’t be woken up.

For a child, the same signs apply, along with crying that won’t stop or refusing to nurse or eat. Young children can’t always say how they feel, so NINDS suggests watching for changes such as losing interest in a favorite toy or losing a skill like toilet training.

The CDC notes that after a mild TBI, a person may not recognize or admit that they are having problems, or may not see how the symptoms affect daily life. Family members and even healthcare providers can overlook them too, because the symptoms look like stress, poor sleep, or other health problems.

Older adults face a particular risk. The CDC says a TBI may be missed or misdiagnosed in an older person because its symptoms overlap with conditions such as dementia. Blood thinners can raise the risk of bleeding in the brain after a fall or a car crash. Older adults are also more likely to be hospitalized for, or die from, a TBI than any other age group.

The injury itself is not rare. The CDC counted more than 69,000 TBI-related deaths in the United States in 2021, about 190 a day. Falls lead to nearly half of TBI-related hospitalizations, and motor vehicle crashes are another common cause.

It depends largely on how severe the injury is. The CDC says health problems from a TBI can last a few days or the rest of a person’s life. Most people with a mild TBI or concussion feel better within a couple of weeks or months. A moderate or severe TBI can cause long-term or lifelong effects, and some people need ongoing care such as rehabilitation.

NINDS describes several longer-lasting problems:

• Post-concussion syndrome: symptoms that last for weeks or longer.
• A second concussion soon after the first: in some cases, this can lead to permanent damage or death.
• Repeated head injuries: research suggests these may cause chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which can affect memory, thinking, mood, and impulse control years later.
• Later dementia risk: a moderate or severe TBI in early or mid-life may be linked to a higher risk of dementia later in life.

Age matters too. Older adults are more likely than younger adults with the same injury to have lasting symptoms. In children, the CDC says an injury of any severity can disrupt development and affect school and other activities.

The CDC says anyone with a possible TBI should be seen by a healthcare provider, and anyone with a danger sign should get emergency care right away. After that first visit, NINDS recommends follow-up appointments to check recovery, telling your provider about any new or ongoing symptoms, and returning to normal activities gradually, only once a doctor says it’s safe.

A few habits make follow-up easier:

• Write down your symptoms each day, with dates, and bring the notes to appointments.
• Ask the people you live and work with to tell you about changes they notice.
• Keep copies of visit summaries, imaging reports, and work notes.

If someone else caused the injury, such as another driver or a property owner who ignored a hazard, those same records become the clearest evidence of what the injury has done to your life. Our guide to how a brain injury is proven explains why, and our overview covers what a traumatic brain injury is.

If a crash, a fall, or another incident someone else caused left you or a family member with brain injury symptoms, the brain injury lawyers at Wilshire Law Firm may be able to review your situation in a free case review with a legal professional, available 24/7, with no fees unless you get paid.

This article is a general overview, not medical or legal advice. If you have symptoms after a head injury, talk to a healthcare provider. Contact Wilshire Law Firm to talk through a possible claim.